Democrats might never get what they’re asking for. But they seem to have significantly more leverage than the side refusing to vote for government funding usually does.
A new poll Thursday from the Washington Post tells the tale.
Democrats are the ones who withheld their votes from a “clean” continuing resolution to keep the government funded this week. And history suggests that’s the side that usually gets the blame. Americans have overwhelmingly said that shutdown debates are no place to try to force extraneous policy changes.
But at least initially, voters are actually blaming Republicans more.
I’m cautiously optimistic after these polls and hoping that they learned their lesson after caving the last time. I think the potential for bad polling spooked them the last time, but with this, they might find their spines and get some concessions from the Republicans. At this point, we really need some sort of victory.
But I always leave room to be disappointed.